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This special issue of Environmental Science and Policy presents the outcomes of the WETwin project (Enhancing the role of wetlands in integrated water resources management for twinned river basins in EU, Africa and South-America in support of EU Water Initiatives), an international research project funded by the FP7 programme of the European Commission. The project aimed to improve wetland management by maximizing benefits from wetland use while maintaining ecological health, using case studies from Europe, Africa and South America.In much of the less developed world, data on wetland functions, processes and values are scarce even while wetlands often provide a critical component of livelihoods. Management decisions on balancing competing demands for wetland use must often be made in the absence of comprehensive information. This paper introduces the approach developed and tested under WETwin to evaluate wetland management structures and solutions in data-poor contexts, summarizing a conceptual framework which has evolved from seven very diverse case studies. A structured, modular approach was devised which combined multi-criteria analysis, trade-off analysis and vulnerability analysis, drawing on best available information, including quantitative modelling, qualitative "expert opinion", and local stakeholders' knowledge and values. The approach used in WETwin has three important strengths: it involves stakeholders at all stages of the decision process, it combines qualitative and quantitative data (and therefore allows inclusion of poorly known and potentially important system components) and finally, it provides a relatively simple and structured approach to evaluate wetland management interventions and integrate impact, feasibility and institutional assessments, vulnerability analysis and trade-off analysis. The overall conceptual framework developed for WETwin was found to be robust and transferable to different contexts.Keywords: wetland management, ecosystem services, vulnerability, multi-criteria analysis, stakeholder participation Highlights WETwin project developed methods assessing wetland management in data-poor contexts  Structured approach to combining quantitative modelling and qualitative "expert opinion"  Multi-criteria and trade-off analyses used to rank management against stakeholder objectives  Impact of external factors (climate change, population growth) explored using scenario analysis

Financing of multiple use (i.e. domestic and productive) water services was identified as an important ingredient to ensure improved water access for rural poor and broaden livelihood options in South Africa. Following the principles of integrated water resource management (IWRM), efficient, equitable and sustainable investments in improved water services should be based on a thorough understanding of actual demand by consumers. Comprehensive studies looking at multiple use water services are not common in South African rural areas, where most of the economic analyses focus on either domestic or irrigation water demand. This study aims at filling this gap by assessing the household demand for multiple use water services in Sekororo-Letsoalo area in the Limpopo Province. Choice modelling is the approach used to identify the attributes determining demand for water services and quantify their relative importance. Results show that households in rural areas are willing to pay for improvements in water services. Due to the current poor level of water services in the area, users are primarily concerned with basic domestic uses and, consequently, demand for productive uses is low. Only households already relatively well served are interested in engaging in multiple water uses.

The GaMampa wetland, a palustrine wetland, comprises less than 1% of the catchment but is widely believed to make a significant contribution to dry-season river flow in the Mohlapitsi River, a tributary of the Olifants River, in South Africa. The contribution of the GaMampa wetland to dry-season flow in the Mohlapitsi River and the impact of increasing agriculture on its hydrological functioning were investigated. Economic analyses showed that the net financial value of the wetland was US$ 83 263 of which agriculture comprises 38%. Hydrological analyses indicated that the Mohlapitsi River contributes, on average, 16% of the dry-season flow in the Olifants River. However, the wetland contributes, at most, 12% to the increase in dry-season flow observed over the reach of the river in which the wetland is located. The remainder of the increase originates from groundwater flowing through the wetland. Furthermore, despite the conversion of 50% of the wetland to agriculture since 2001, there has been no statistically significant reduction in dry-season flow in the Mohlapitsi River. These results highlight the importance of understanding the nature of the full suite of services being provided by a wetland in order to make informed decisions for appropriate management.Key words agriculture; ecosystem services; hydrology; livelihoods; South Africa; wetland Une étude de l'hydrologie et de la fourniture de services écosystémiques des zones humides: la zone humide de GaMampa, Afrique du Sud Résumé La zone humide de GaMampa, une zone humide palustre, représente moins de 1% du bassin versant auquel elle appartient, mais il est communément admis qu'elle apporte en saison sèche une contribution significative au débit de la rivière Mohlapitsi, affluent de la rivière Olifants, en Afrique du Sud. Nous avons étudié la contribution de la zone humide de GaMampa au débit de la rivière Mohlapitsi en saison sèche et l'impact croissant de l'agriculture sur son fonctionnement hydrologique. Les analyses économiques ont montré que la valeur financière nette de la zone humide était de 83 263 US$ dont 38% correspondent à l'agriculture. Les analyses hydrologiques ont montré que la rivière Mohlapitsi contribue en moyenne pour 16% au débit de la rivière Olifants en saison séche. Cependant, la zone humide contribue à 12% au plus de l'augmentation du débit observé en saison séche sur la portion de la rivière sur laquelle la zone humide est située. Le reste de l'augmentation provient de l'eau souterraine qui coule au travers de la zone humide. Par ailleurs, malgré la conversion de 50% de la zones humide en terres agricoles depuis 2001, il n'y a pas eu de réduction statistiquement significative du débit de saison sèche de la rivière Mohlapitsi. Ces résultats soulignent combien il est important de comprendre la nature de la gamme complète de services fournis par une zone humide, afin de prendre des décisions éclairées pour une gestion appropriée.

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In many countries, the challenge of sustaining rural water supplies is entrusted to community organizations, which have difficulties in performing durably the operation, maintenance and cost recovery of rural water supply systems. This paper analyzes how rural communities struggle to ensure a sustainable access to water, while seeking close interaction with outside actors such as the State, NGOs, and politicians. The analysis is based on field observations, interviews and participatory workshops in four community-managed water supply systems in Brazil and Tunisia. To sustain the access to water, communities limit their dependance on community-managed water supply systems and diversify water sources for different uses; they adapt the technical and organizational dimensions of water supply systems through bricolage; and use political leverage to obtain financial and technical support. Understanding how communities adapt the infrastructure and the organization of rural water supply, in close interaction with external actors, may inspire water providers in designing more resilient water systems.